Hoyer To Become Padres GM

4:42pm: Melissa Segura of SI.com reports that the Padres will name Hoyer as GM later today. The 35-year-old exec has contributed to contract negotiations and offered sabermetric analysis with the Red Sox. He was co-GM of the team when Theo Epstein took a brief hiatus in 2005.

2:35pm: Gammons reports (viaTwitter) that the Red Sox held a farewell lunch for assistant GM Jed Hoyer today before he heads off to San Diego. Presumably this means Hoyer is set to become the Padres' new GM.

9:45am: It seems increasingly likely that the Padres will choose Jed Hoyer as the team's next GM early next week, according to ESPN.com's Peter Gammons. Hoyer is currently Boston's assistant GM, but the Red Sox are well-equipped to handle the loss of the high-ranking exec. Kevin Towers, who mentored Red Sox GM Theo Epstein in San Diego, has been offered a position in Boston, and the Red Sox have extended former Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi a similar offer. Red Sox exec Ben Cherington would likely become assistant GM if Hoyer does take over in San Diego.